The Note of Proceedings and Presentation Slides from Scotland's Global Food Security Conference 2025 are now available on the SEFARI Gateway website through the following links.
📄 tinyurl.com/ProceedingsN...
👥 tinyurl.com/Presentation...
#FoodSecurity25
Just about decompressed from the @sefariscot.bsky.social & ScotGov Scotland's Global Food Security Conference!
I had a fairly minor part in the organisation, but oh boy, was this a big event to be involved with! If you're interested in finding out what was discussed take a look at #FoodSecurity25
During our final networking session Gregory Kenicer, botanist from @thebotanics.bsky.social, told us about the food we've been eating today and highlighted the community kitchen garden which supplies 1 1/2 tonnes of produce for the garden's cafes.
#FoodSecurity25
A big thank you needs to be given to George Burgess, Director of Agriculture and Rural Economy - Scottish Government, for keeping the proceedings in line today and chairing the event.
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Chairing our industry perspective panel is Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, founder of the Genius gluten-free food brand, chair of Edinburgh New Town Cookery, and former chair of Scotland Food and Drink.
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Ending with an industry perspective on #FoodSecurity25.
Thanks to Robin Manning, Director of British Agricultural Bureau, Heather Kelman, Chair of @fsscot.bsky.social, David Thomson, CEO of Food & Drink Federation Scotland & Andrew Connon, President of National Farmers Union Scotland.
Thanks to Lena Halos - The Gates Foundation, Matthew Cleveland - Genus plc, Tom McNeilly @moredunfoundation.bsky.social and Wayne Powell @srucnews.bsky.social for a busy Q&A covering everything from greenhouse gases to vaccines.
#FoodSecurity25
2/2 Lena Halos from The Gates Foundation focused on livestock health & disease, & talked about the importance of vaccination.
Tom McNeilly, Director of @moredunfoundation.bsky.social, elaborated by talking about the vaccine development, Barbervax.
#FoodSecurity25
1/2 Lena Halos, Senior Programme Officer, from The Gates Foundation spoke of how they "envision a world in which everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life."
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🐄 Wayne Powell, Principal & CEO of @srucnews.bsky.social, and Matthew Cleveland, Senior Director at Genus plc delivered the overarching message that...
"A more sustainable food supply, around the world, starts with genetics."
#FoodSecurity25
Thank you @thebotanics.bsky.social for being such a spectacular venue for Scotland's Global Food Security Conference.
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Thanks to all the panellists discussing collaboration & comparative advantage with an international perspective.
Edwini Kessie @wto.org, Jamie Morrison @gainalliance.bsky.social Hubertus Gay @oecd-ocde.bsky.social, @raschad.bsky.social @fao.org & Hillary Curnow NZ High Commision.
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She noted that we are still a long way from our goal of zero hunger. She wondered how comparative advantage played into that and considered the impacts of biodiversity, climate change, population growth and volatile trade.
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The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform, and Islands, @mairigougeon.bsky.social spoke about the good timing of Scotland's Global Food Security Conference with the conclusion of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill yesterday - www.parliament.scot/bills-and-la...
#FoodSecurity25
Ian Barker @cgiar.org informed us that the name of the potato variety 'Tinyadile' means something to be proud of in Malawian, which might be one of the loveliest facts of the day!
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🥔 Colin Campbell, CEO of @hutton.ac.uk, spoke about the Hutton's research on accelerated potato breeding, which Ian Barker from @cgiar.org talked about in the African context in terms of breeding for resistance, tolerance and cooking time.
#FoodSecurity25
🐟 Jules Griffin, Director of @rowettinstitute.bsky.social, spoke about the likelihood of a diet richer in seafood as we transition to #NetZero.
Sylvester Madzvova followed with an enthusiastic presentation on underutilised crops such as moringa & hemp.
#FoodSecurity25
We have a full agenda for #FoodSecurity25 today.
The @WHO defines food security as when all people, at all times, have physical, social, & economic access to sufficient, safe, & nutritious food that meets their dietary needs & preferences for an active & healthy life.
Wrapping up the evening’s speeches, Iain Baxter, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, spoke about consumer choice, noting that people want to eat & drink food from where they’re from.
He also celebrated Stockan's Oatcakes and Growers Garden who were at the reception.
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Our Director, Charles Bestwick, highlighted the importance of collaboration.
He thanked the combined efforts of @sefariscot.bsky.social, ScotGov & @rowettinstitute.bsky.social for organising #FoodSecurity25 & talked about research from across the SEFARI portfolio.
Scotland’s agriculture and food & drink sector was highlighted by @mairigougeon.bsky.social who emphasised that food is part of our heritage and culture, and sits at the centre of many of our relationships. Food security underpins this.
#FoodSecurity25
@emmaharpermsp.bsky.social, who sponsored the event, spoke about how #FoodSecurity25 was particularly important to her due to her work on the national Good Food Nation Plan - www.gov.scot/publications...
Scotland's Global Food Security Conference has started with a packed parliamentary reception.
Conversations surrounding climate change, collaboration, and comparative advantage are already flowing.
Spot some of our @sefariscot.bsky.social team inc. knowledge brokers!
#FoodSecurity25
